Hat Medallion

I was given several very thin metal findings - 'doodads' - to see what I could come up with.  This is my first try.  The outside came easy enough but I kept wondering what to do with the center, which has a small hole. My solution, at least this time, is two rings, the larger on the bottom.  The tails of the two rings are threaded through the bead then through the hat to hold the medallion on.  The doodad is so thin it bends easily so I'm thinking maybe putting a button on the inside to help keep it from bending when wearing the hat.  

Lizbeth # 652 Royal Blue size 20

I put it on the side of the hat but I'm not sure it's positioned quite right yet.  I think I'll have to put the hat on a head to be able to see where it looks the best. 

Lizbeth #144 Leaf Swirl size 20

I've had the idea for while to make a bracelet with buttons and finally found a combination of buttons and thread that I like.   I've given this to one of my daughters to try out for awhile.  She has instructions to let me know what she thinks of it, what works and what doesn't.  She hasn't got back to me about it yet though I'm anxiously waiting.  I have some other, really cute buttons I would like to do this to but if there is something I should do differently I'd like to know before I start.

It's funny, for as many hearts as I did for Valentine's Day I haven't done a thing for Easter.  I guess it's still a few days away, I could still get something made...

Thank you to all of you who asked after my mom.  She is doing very well and is back home.  She does have some in-home care and a neighbor who checks in frequently so I'm not too concerned about her being alone.    She did spend a few days in rehab to get some of her strength back, which also relieved my sister and I.  We were afraid she would try to go straight home from the hospital.  This situation could have been a lot worse.  We are very grateful of how well things are working out and how well she is getting along.

"We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does.  Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining - they just shine."
Dwight L. Moody
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What a week!

Oh, wait, it's been two weeks!

No, I didn't forget to post - life got in the way.

I have gotten some tatting done but haven't found much time for picture taking.  Finally this morning I just took the time to take a few.

 Lizbeth size 20 #122 Caribbean

I usually keep several bookmarks handy for those times a small gift is needed unexpectedly but my supply of these has dwindled to nothing. I started restocking with this cross that has a finding - 'doodad' - in the middle.  

I've also be playing with the motif idea I had a couple of weeks ago.  The one on the left is the original, the one on the right the next try.  I think I like the second one better.  Both are made in size 10 turquoise. 

It has been a very busy two weeks, lots of things happening, little of it planned.  I've spent a lot of time at the hospital with my mother who fell and broke her hip and femur. As breaks go they aren't bad but there was still surgery, hospital stay and now rehab.  

I did get to spend a beautiful day with one of my grandsons in the middle of all this.  My son-in-laws' family also had a medical emergency and a babysitter was needed for a few hours.  It happened to be on the most gorgeous day - 80° F, sunny, very little wind - so we went to the park.  Three parks actually.  He didn't want to go home at all! It was a great day. 

I have to admit that there is something else that has kept me from tatting as much as I'd planned - a new book.  I found out last week that my favorite author, Lois McMaster Bujold, had a new book in the Vorkosigan saga out last November(!)  The first six chapters are free to read on-line - which I did, but it leaves you hanging (of course).  Then I tried something I'd been putting off - I bought the ebook to read on my tablet.   I instantly had the entire book to read (heheheheheh), no waiting to go to the library or book store.   This has proved to be dangerous - it's just too easy to buy new books.  If I'm not careful I'll never get anything else done!

"I am simply a 'book drunkard.' Books have the same irresistible temptation for me that liquor has for its devotee.  I cannot withstand them."

L.M. Montgomery

Decisions, decisions

Have you ever had that problem of trying to figure out what to do next?

Have you ever tried to do this with limited resources?

I did this last weekend when I went to visit my daughter's family.  I took my tatting things with me (of course!) and a very small variety of thread. What I didn't take with me was a plan! I hadn't gone there with a decision of what I was going to be doing!

Most of the time when I go visit this isn't much of a problem as I spend most of my time with the grandchildren or doing family things so don't have a lot of time to tat anyway (even though I always take it with me!). This time however I knew that there would be some waiting time where my tatting would be welcome.  I also had with me the bag I had added tatting to last week, as well as the thread I had used.  It did look a little bare, like it could use a bit more tatting on it, so that's what I ended up working on. 

As the bag had squares on it I thought that should be the shape of a motif to go on the front in the middle.  That worked until the third ring when I was distracted and headed down a different path.  Instead of untatting it I just changed direction and went with the flow. 

I used the same size 10 turquoise thread I used for the edging but no beads.

This didn't turn out too bad.  I see several things I want to do differently when/if I do this motif again.   I made it in one pass, climbing out with a split ring but it doesn't quite look right.  I also missed a chain in the center because of the split ring.   And I can really tell I'm not used to using this large of thread!

I had a hot cup of green and peach tea this morning for Tatting Tea Tuesday.  I'm getting more adventuresome with my tea drinking than I used to be, willing to mix flavors where once it was the same tea all the time.  Thanks, IsDihara, for giving me the incentive to try new things - at least in regards to tea!

"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg.  We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad"
C.S. Lewis
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